Here's a list of QB's that have gone in the first or second round of the draft since 2007.

2007 QB'sJaMarcus Russell: LolBrady Quinn: LolKevin Kolb: Lol

2008 QB'sMatt Ryan: No slumpJoe Flacco: No slump

2009 QB'sMatthew Stafford: He was injured most of his second yearMark Sanchez: Didn't really have a slump.. but not spectacularJosh Freeman: I don't know if you can count him, started half way through his rookie year

2010 QB'sSam Bradford: Threw only 6 TD's in 10 starts. And won only one game.Tim Tebow: No comment.

2011 QB'sCam Newton: Made the Pro Bowl his rookie year. But didn't really improve his numbers this year.Jake Locker: Didn't begin his rookie year as the starting QB, but definitely not have a good 2nd yearBlaine Gabbert: Well, he just sucks. Didn't think he should have been drafted in the 1st round at allChristian Ponder: He's actually having a improved 2nd year I thinkAndy Dalton: Also, having a great 2nd yearColin Kaepernick: Didn't start rookie year.

At first I was kind of weary about a trend for QB's to have a slump in their second year. Mainly because, well Stafford got injured his second year, Bradford did as well, but really under performed when he did play, and Cam Newton isn't improving. And looking at last year's rookie QB's, only one of them who started last year is going to the playoffs. (Ponder is still up in the air). Gabbert and Locker are disappointments.

It seemed like it was a pattern that QB's hit that sophomore slump. But really, when looking at this list it's not really a pattern. Considering if you go back to 2009. And I think Wilson is way too much of a hard worker to let that happen to him.

And I guess, which rookie QB is most likely to hit the sophomore slump next year? Luck, RGIII or Wilson? My vote is definitely RGIII

If he does, I don't think he'll become a laugher of a QB, and it won't nearly hurt us as much as it did Carolina when Newton was slumping earlier this season due to the team around Wilson. It's not something that worries me, to be honest, and maybe I'm being really naive.

Somehow, I think the whole 'sophomore slump' meme is a product of how the coaching staffs handle rookie QBs. There seems to be two schools of thought, one being just throw them out there and let them learn under fire, while the other is to 'coach them up' by letting them back up for a year or two for 'seasoning.'

With Wilson, we kind of split the difference where we put him out there from day one, but brought the whole offense up to speed somewhat slowly, letting him grow into the job a bit. Perhaps he could have "done it all" from the first snap but we'll never know. We do know that both Wilson and the rest of the offensive side of the team have shown magical improvement since early September and seem ready for the post season run. The plan may have cost a couple of wins early on, but the results right now are pretty impressive.

I'd say Pete Carroll has done an excellent job with Wilson and I predict there will be no sophomore slump for Russ.

Talent can get you to the playoffs.It takes character to win when you get there.SUPER BOWL XLVIII CHAMPIONS

Teams now will have ample film of Wilson to peruse over the off season. Inevitably, Russell will begin to see some exotic defenses that are conjured up specifically to stop his scrambling (if possible) or make sure they stay on their man the whole time until the play is over. But for every counter on defense, I believe the Hawks have a good counter on offense since we are pretty damn good in the run game as well. The team is not a one trick pony on offense, which I believe will help prevent any "sophomore slump".

I think (no stat to back this up) that sophomore slump usually comes from extremely gifted players. Those players that doesn't have to put in the same amount of work and yet excel at their position. As they get lazy / overconfident in the offseason AND opposing teams gets 16 games on tape they create the sophomore slump. The difference in players like RW and Peyton Manning is that their work ethic is what makes them continue to develop and stay one step ahead continuously.

I just don't see Wilson having any trouble in his 2nd yr.Just wondering how many of the players mentioned above had coaching changes or OC changes their sophomore season,different coaches different schemes.Could take some time to get used to.

"Linebacker, it's not like it's rocket science," Tatupu said with a laugh. "Just hit the man with the ball."

I don't expect Russell to improve immensely next year. He looks pretty darn good now. I do expect teams to adjust and I expect he will be given more opportunities to capitalize on opposing weaknesses.No Sophomore Slump in Seattle!

First off, lets get through the first season first. Second, I am curious what type of person Russell is. If he is motivated to continue disproving those that thought he might be too small or not as good as various other Qb's selected this year than he will try to continue improving himself during the offseason. He will always be linked to this particular quarterback draft class of 2012 so he should want to continue improving.

I am thinking the staff will have to revoke his access to the facilities and lock up the film room when the off season hits just to make him take a break. I bet he is going to set up a work out schedule with his receivers and have a tendencie book on every DB in the league as well as general schemes of every team on the schedule come the first OTA.

To Be P/C or Not P/C That is the Question..........Seahawks kick Ass !!!! Check your PM's, Thank you for everything Radish RIP My Friend. Member of the 38 club.

He's only going to work harder in the off-season, because he wants to be the QB talked about 100 years from now. He has huge goals to achieve, so I see him studying 5 days a week through the entire off-season to get his own personal game-plan set for each game next season. He'll keep filling his book full of new info on every DB in the league, every LB corps, every pass rusher coming at him, defensive schemes, plays, and limitations. He will dissect every last detail to be the best there has ever been. Even if he never reaches that level, it won't be for lack of effort.

I think the sophomore slump is players who get by on natural talent,and things catch up to them after teams study film.The way RW studies film and plans for the next game is unique.He want's to be prepared,and works with coaches/playcallers for a new game plan for each week.He is so ahead of other rookie QB's this way,it seems like the first four weeks were his rookie season.When he caught up with the speed of the pro game, it didn't take long.Now he acts like a pure veteran.Cool and poised under attack by great defensive players.I don't worry a bit about next year.Other team coaches might worry a lot more than I do.

Scottemojo wrote:Basing this shit on history is dumb. Russell isn't those guys.

Russell is Russell. Nobody else. Watch. And Witness.

Exactly. The logic in the OP is very similar to the type of logic Hawkblogger used when he argued that Wilson couldn't succeed because rookie QBs tend to post low numbers historically. What he didn't consider was that very few rookie QBs walk onto a team as loaded as this one, and very few QBs have the hall of fame type intangibles that Wilson has. Wilson was clearly a one of a kind player in a one of a kind situation, so comparing him to ordinary QBs in ordinary situations missed the mark.

Teams will have tape on RW so they may contain him a bit better but as some one posted already he will have experience against them too. Russell learns from his mistakes. The will adjust but he will study that and adjust as well. The key will be Lynch though. If teams focus too much on Wilson beast mode will be waiting for them.

brimsalabim wrote:Teams will have tape on RW so they may contain him a bit better but as some one posted already he will have experience against them too. Russell learns from his mistakes. The will adjust but he will study that and adjust as well. The key will be Lynch though. If teams focus too much on Wilson beast mode will be waiting for them.

Wilson was better in the 2nd game against all three west teams. They had both film and experience.